


Sunshine Eyes

by poisonous_panda



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Citadel, Gen, Insomnia, Lestallum, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonous_panda/pseuds/poisonous_panda
Summary: Today is the day Ardyn leaves to begin his Healer mission. It's time to say goodbye.





	Sunshine Eyes

Morning’s breaking. The sunlight seeps through the crack in the curtains, rousing you from your sleep as it flutters around your swollen eyelids.

You spent most of last night crying. Crying in his arms. Tears of pride. Tears of fear. Tears of confusion and tears of loss. Tender kisses were shared, loving fingers caressing each other’s bodies as you memorise each other. It was like the first time all over again, despite the fact you and he had been together for years. No lovemaking, it wasn’t necessary, more love was shared in those gentle touches and feather kisses than any amount of passion could portray.

Stubbornly refusing to open your eyes, you roll over and drape your arm over the modestly muscular form of your wine-haired lover. Ardyn Lucis Caelum, prince to the Lucian throne and King of your heart. Snuggling into his back and inhaling the remnants of his exotically spicy cologne, you feel your stomach knot up again and your eyes begin to sting.

You always knew Ardyn was a wonderful man. A man who treated you like no other, even if his royal duties sometimes got in the way. The way he would softly smile, his golden eyes shining like the sun. Those eyes you will never see again after today. You almost don’t want him to wake up, you want to freeze this moment in time forever.

So does he.

He has been awake for a while but did not want to disturb you. He knows you were still crying after you thought he fell asleep. So he wanted to let you have as much time as possible to recover from the trauma you put yourself through. But alas, you ruined it by snuggling him. Now he knows you’re up, and the day must begin. Today is your farewell.

Yesterday you, Ardyn, Izunia and the rest of the royal household were paid a visit by the Draconian. Bahamut, King of Dragons. He knew Ardyn was as pure as you did. That is why he was chosen for this sacred duty. Your sunshine-eyed sweetheart was Chosen to bring the Light back to this world, to remove the evil Starscourge. You knew his journey would be long and lonely, for he could not take you with him. You also knew, as well as he did, that he probably would not survive the trip. You were proud, everyone was, and Ardyn took the duty willingly; anything for his people. But it means he must forsake his heart’s desire.

You.

Which means you will lose him too.

He sits up in the bed, soft silky sapphire sheets sliding off his body quietly, as if they themselves know not to disturb these precious minutes. He turns his head sideways, making eye contact with you as you continue laying there on your side where he left you. He gives you a small smile which you try to return, but your eyes brim with tears instead so you shut them, ball your fists on the silky sheets and turn your head into the pillow.

In the darkness, you feel a weight move off the bed. Ardyn is up. He walks across the sapphire carpet barefooted, only wearing his black silky pajama trousers, and opens the curtains.

“Good morning my little dove. The sun is up, you do not want to miss such a sight.” Ardyn purrs in his gravelly yet enticing voice.

He is trying to lighten the mood, to bring his favourite smile to your face. It’s in vain. He knows you are proud of him, you’ve told him through those ugly tears. But no amount of pride could stop your heart from shattering. You’re allowed to continue living in the Citadel, but you do not wish to. A life there without Ardyn would be an empty one. So it is back to Lestallum to your parents.

Ardyn shuffles around getting ready. Despite the sunlight, he is wearing an outfit of many layers. Absorbing the Starscourge will make his blood run cold. Daemons do not like the sunlight, so once they are inside him he will turn as cold as they are. It takes him a while, but you do not move. You do not even open your eyes, save for when you acknowledged his one line of speech. How you will come to regret that later.

A few sprays of his favourite spicy cologne to top up that already divine smell of his transports your mind to a happier time. You helping him stop being such a picky eater, he teaching you how to ride his beloved black chocobo who he’s had since he was a child and she a chick. You feel anger rising up in you at those memories. How dare he take this duty! You know it’s selfish but you’re lying here with a shattered heart whilst everyone else will get a Healer. And Ardyn……. it will cost him his life to do such a thing.

What an idiot! A noble, ridiculous martyr! Bahamut and Starscourge be damned!

This tempest is blowing inside your head but you do not show it on the outside. Ardyn thinks you just cannot bear to look at him a final time.

He finishes lacing up his boots and places the leg warmers over the top, then wraps a beautiful cashmere red scarf around his Elizabethan collared shirt - the scarf was a gift from his late mother. The men always seem to live longer in the Lucis Caelum line. Then he pads over to the bed and gets down on his knees so he is eye-level with you. 

You feel his warm breath near your face, and that damn beautiful cologne of his saturates the nearby sheets with his smell, but you stubbornly refuse to open your eyes still. Looking at him hurts. If you see those sunshine irises of his again you may not let him go. He is your embodiment of Light, especially with those beautiful eyes, now he must share that Light with the world - at the cost of his own. It’s unforgiveable!

He lets out an audiable sigh at your behaviour. But he does understand. He brings a hand to your cheek, smoothing the skin with his thumb, the smell of his leather fingerless gloves at odds with everything else around you. You smile at the touch, but the way it moves your face makes more tears spill out from under your closed lids. His thumb wipes them away, then he leans over and plants a kiss on top of those tears. His gentle loving lips soothe the angry thoughts in your head, even the scratch of his stubble has become reassuring over the years.

No words are needed. Everything was said yesterday. Trying again would just delay his mission and your bravery at letting the man you love go would falter.

He stands up, knees popping as he does so because he is not a young man anymore. You can hear his heavy bootfalls as he walks over to the desk where you remember he left his fedora. How you loved the way his beautiful mane of hair would splay out underneath that hat. You want to see him again so badly, but you know you can’t. Your heart can’t take it. So you remain still as you are, laid on your side with the sapphire silk sheets balled in your fists, eyes clamped tightly shut. The only movement you make is to wriggle your head forward a bit, that way your nose can inhale the last of Ardyn’s scent. One you know will fade so you must enjoy it as much as you can.

“Farewell my little dove. I will await you when it’s all over, in the beyond.”

And with that, the bedroom door clicks shut. You listen as his footsteps grow fainter and fainter.

He’s gone now.

“Farewell my King.” you croak into the pillow, “I will always love you.”


End file.
